This day brings back so many memories. When we were growing up in Greece it was the day when we would go to "catch May" as we used to say. We would go for picnic, have bbq and collect flowers to make a wreath that we as children would wear on our heads. Later, when we grew up, we would go to taverns and celebrate the day there. It was not until we became adults, as in found a job and made our own living, that we came to understand and appreciate what this day means. The reason? Because although this day exists and is celebrated around the world the principle behind it, unfortunately, does not. At least not where we are and I am sure that if you think about it not where you are either...the principle that an person has to have 8 hours of quality producing work, 8 hours of rest and 8 hours of recreation is long gone. And with it so is quality...But this is a food blog and we will not go any deeper into it. We will leave it as is and you can make of it what you like. What we will do though, is try to recreate a little of the vibe that we used to have as kids and our memories that will be enhanced through our taste buds :) Usually, labour day was about bbq and meat mostly. We will not do this though. What we will do today is make an appetiser, a salad and a main course that contain sea food and vegetables. We thought that on a nice sunny day that is today in UAE we should give seafood a chance and of course we will accompany that with good quality tsipouro (heavy drink produced from the residue of wine press) that we brought from back home. You can accompany yours with anything you like if you are not too much into the taste of tsipouro. The idea today is to eat slowly and drink lots :) So Happy Labour Day from all of us! Enjoy the day and let's all try to change the world a little for the better. As always Kali Oreksi!Kostas, Dia and Tony!

Zucchini fritters (kolokithokeftedes)

Ingredients for 6 people:

300g zucchini

70g green onions finely chopped

50g mint

25g dill

50g parsley

1 medium egg

50ml extra virgin olive plus more for frying

50g breadcrumbs

45g kefalotyri or sharp white cheddar

80g feta cheese

60ml water

160g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

greek yogurt to dip in

for more information on how to make the zucchini fritters please click here

Mackerel - potato salad

Ingredients for 3 people:

for the salad:

600g potatoes

40g green onions chopped

1 tbs capers

2 tbs dill finely chopped

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

90 gr smoked mackerel filet

3 tbs lemon juice

for the sauce:

20ml lemon juice

70ml extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

for more information on how to make the mackerel - potato salad please click here

Seafood pilaf

Ingredients for 4 people:

140g calamari

400g clams

500g mussels

200g onion chopped

60ml extra virgin olive oil

320g long grain rice

130ml white wine

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

710ml water

2tbs chopped parsley

for more information on how to make the seafood pilaf please click here

Greek cuisine has a long tradition and its flavors change with the season and its geography. Greek cookery, historically a forerunner of Western cuisine, spread its culinary influence - via ancient Rome - throughout Europe and beyond. It has influences from the different people's cuisine the Greeks have interacted with over the centuries, as evidenced by several types of sweets and cooked foods.

It was Archestratos in 320 B.C. who wrote the first cookbook in history. Greece has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 years.Ancient Greek cuisine was characterized by its frugality and was founded on the "Mediterranean triad": wheat, olive oil, and wine, with meat being rarely eaten and fish being more common. This trend in Greek diet continued in Roman and Ottoman times and changed only fairly recently when technological progress has made meat more available. Wine and olive oil have always been a central part of it and the spread of grapes and olive trees in the Mediterranean and further afield is correlated with Greek colonization.